NFL star unwinds in cozy Costa Rica

Jae-Ha Kim, Tribune Media Services

NFL linebacker Lance Briggs has always had a love for comic books, and creating his own has been a dream come true for the 31-year-old football player. "Seraph," created by Briggs and co-written with Phil Hester, is one of eight titles in the Top Cow and Image Comics Pilot Season Competition. Throughout December, fans may vote for their favorite title at Topcow.com. "Vote as often as you like," said Briggs, who lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., when not playing in Chicago with the Bears. "Just like when you vote for the Pro Bowl."

Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?

A: At the end of the year, I want to go some place warm. There's nothing like going to Costa Rica, where it's beautiful and you get more bang for the buck. We went zip-lining and stayed at this cool little place off the beach. I went to sleep listening to the waves. That, for me, is a vacation paradise.

Q: Have you ever roughed it and gone backpacking?

A: Yes. In 2006, I backpacked around Europe and stayed in hostels. I went to Rome, Venice and Paris. It was a lot of fun. I took a trip to London last year and also went to Ireland. I just spent hours in a pub with some of the locals who were talking about the history of their country and the United States and England and how it all tied together. I didn't backpack on that trip though.

Q: Do people overseas give you a hard time about playing the wrong kind of football?

A: (He laughed.) It depends on where you are. If you go to the Bahamas, you're going to see a lot of football fans. But you're not going to find too many people who're interested in American football in England. When I was in Costa Rica, there was an international soccer match, and one of the teams was from Africa, and they got a lot of attention. No one knew who I was or cared that I played football. Soccer was the main thing. It's kind of nice.

Q: Where are your favorite weekend getaways?

A: Miami's always nice. Going back home to Sacramento and Elk Grove, Calif., is fun. And I love taking a nice road trip because you can find a lot of peace.

Q: What are some of your favorite cities?

A: In Europe, London and Venice are right up there; in the United States, Miami, Scottsdale, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and San Diego.

Q: Where have you visited where you didn't feel particularly welcome?

A: People in Paris were pretty unfriendly, which was kind of surprising because people were so nice in other places — Amsterdam, Rome, London. Maybe we just ran into the wrong folks in France. I don't hold a grudge though. I don't speak French, so I'm sure that was part of it. I speak a little Spanish, so that helps when I visit Costa Rica.

Q: What have you learned from traveling?

A: I've visited quite a few places where the people aren't as concerned about material things, like a lot of Americans are, and they lead kind of a simple but extremely fulfilling life. And they're happy. I have a lot of respect for that.